We want to study and play more, not work
By Milagros, aged 16, Young Leader, Peru.
I am convinced that child labour is an issue few people tolerate. Despite that, there are many different opinions about it, from it being suitable for children who do not have money to it being horrendous for children. But, I am glad that most people do not tolerate child labour as they believe it is a major problem that harms children’s and adolescents' educational and formative processes. When children work, they are often exploited to exhaustion instead of focusing on studying, doing well at school, dedicating themselves to staying with their families and enjoying recreational activities.
On the other hand, some people believe that it is almost inevitable that child labour occurs due to economic problems and scarce resources. Thus, many boys and girls are forced to work because they have urgent needs that their parents cannot cover: for instance, being able to have school supplies and materials for their homework. In addition, during the COVID-19 pandemic, many families have been affected by health and economic problems. Therefore, responsibility for contributing to the household income falls on many children and adolescents, and many authorities do not have a work plan to solve this problem.
To discuss this issue, it is very important to know the opinions of working children and adolescents. For instance, Miriam, 13, is a teenager who works selling flowers in the cemetery in the city of Ayacucho. She told me that she works because her family often does not have enough money to support their home. The money Miriam earns by selling flowers is enough to cover her family's needs, including meals, supplies, school materials, clothes and uniforms for school. She also told me that she has learned how to manage her money and saves some of her income. In this sense, child labour may not necessarily always be a problem but could also present opportunities for children and adolescents to have better economic opportunities.
That said, we need to see the other side too. Child labour often restricts many children’s and adolescents' recreational, educational and social activities. Most working children are exploited, abused and discriminated. They have minimum protection or no protection at all. This is why Miriam told me that the authorities need to work on measures that protect children and adolescents and implement a plan to reduce child labour. Governments must promote economic education and entrepreneurship in the families so that children do not need to work.
I am aware that these different points of view make us question if child labour is really a problem or if it is an alternative solution that families take. Still, despite this, I want to say that governments need to address this problem and take measures to support families so they will not send their children to work. "We want to study and play more, not work."